Related Links

Oakland Community College welcomes transfer students from institutions of higher education
and always tries to award direct equivalent credit. When direct equivalencies are
not available, elective credit is usually awarded.

Transfer credit must be from a regionally accredited college or university.

The course must be considered college level.

Only grades of 2.0 “C” or higher are transferable.

Articulation Agreements

Oakland Community College has Articulation Agreements with several colleges and universities that offer bachelor and advanced degrees.
Any student continuing their education beyond OCC should work closely with a counselor
to ensure their coursework, transfers properly.

Considering a Transfer?

Transfer Guarantee

Upon recommendation from the senior institution to which a graduating student transferred,
OCC will allow a student to retake courses for free (up to 16 credit hours) in which
they received a 2.0 or better while at OCC, but are deemed deficient by that institution.
This guarantee is offered only once by OCC, and must be requested within two years
of earning an OCC associate degree in Liberal Arts, Science or Business Administration.
Eligible students must also complete English, math and prerequisite course requirements
within the first 30 hours of attempted credit at this institution.

Reverse Transfer

Reverse transfer allows previous OCC students that transferred to a four-year college
or university to move credits from that school back to OCC to become eligible for
an associate degree or certificate. OCC has reverse-transfer agreements with several four-year institutions to promote these opportunities, and more information
is available by meeting with an OCC counselor.

College Transfer Days

The College holds College Transfer Days in the fall and spring of each year. Over 35 public private, and independent college
visit each campus.

Ordering Military Transcripts

Oakland Community College awards credits for military courses completed. Students
may request their Joint Services Transcript (JST) or other military transcripts to
be sent to OCC using the following links:

Transfer Options & Requirements

Oakland Community College offers various programs that build the foundation for students
that plan to continue their education at a four-year institution. Counselors are available to help guide students on the right path toward seeking their academic
goals at other colleges and universities, but it is the student’s responsibility to
fully understand the course requirements at the institution they wish to ultimately
transfer to. Students are encouraged to make use of the Michigan Transfer Agreement when transferring from OCC to another college or university in the state of Michigan.

In addition to studying the current course catalog of the transfer institution and
discussing requirements with an OCC counselor or faculty adviser, the student should
confer with an admissions counselor from that college or university as soon as possible.
Students should also apply to that institution well in advance of the transfer date
and request a copy of their official transcript from the Office of the Registrar to
deliver to the transfer institution.

Students who spend two years at Oakland Community College and transfer to a four-year
institution generally meet transfer requirements by qualifying for an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or an Associate in Business Administration. However, different colleges and universities have different requirements for particular
areas of study, which makes consulting with counselors and admissions staff absolutely
critical to ensuring the transfer process is as smooth as possible.

Transfer Equivalencies

Transfer applicants should have transcripts from former colleges attended sent to
the Office of the Registrar at the George A. Bee Administration Center at least one
month prior to registration to ensure transfer credit availability. Students with
any questions about the transferability of prior coursework should consult a counselor
before registering.

OCC may declare a course equivalent when the knowledge and content between an OCC
course and another institution's course are shown to be equal, and the two courses
are within one credit hour of each other. The College Registrar is the arbiter of
any equivalency dispute, and shall make the final decision when courses are part of
the student’s general education requirements.

The College also accepts course credit from an accredited national, or professional
body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as listed
in the Directory of the American Council on Education (ACE). This consideration will
extend to Armed Services programs and certain business and industry programs and certificates
listed in the ACE Directory. Other credit may be considered. The College Registrar
makes the final determination of acceptance.

Upon receipt of your transcript, Oakland Community College will evaluate the course
work, post credit equivalencies as transfer credit on your Oakland Community College
transcript, and email you that the evaluation has been completed.

Transferring from OCC to Another School

When transferring from OCC to another institution, it is up to the receiving school
which classes will be accepted and how your credits will transfer. Students should
work with an OCC counselor to discuss transfer credits and academic planning to ensure
they stay on track for degree completion. Students may find the Michigan Transfer Network to be a useful source of information. In addition, transferring students are strongly
encouraged to explore transfer opportunities that exist with post-secondary articulation agreements between OCC and many four-year colleges and universities.

Transfer Advantage

Traditional four-year colleges and universities recognize the value of an OCC education
in several capacities. Upon completing at least one full year of courses at OCC, the
minimum admission requirements at most four-year colleges and universities decrease,
and ACT and SAT scores have diminished bearing on the overall admissions process.
So transferring from OCC may boost your chances of admission to and receiving a degree
from the four-year college or university of your choice rather than if you tried right
out of high school.

Another bonus about OCC’s transfer program is that the College Transfer Center works
very closely with the colleges and universities across Michigan to ensure the list
of courses eligible for transfer is accurate and up to date. OCC counselors have immediate
access to this and other information about admissions to institutions across Michigan,
and will work closely with you to ensure a smooth transfer. Reference materials about
other schools, including course catalogs, financial aid information, and tuition and
housing costs, are available to help you decide where the best place to achieve your
academic goals will be.

Time Advantage

Take the core courses for your freshman and sophomore years at Oakland Community College
and then complete the junior and senior years at a four-year college or university
on your way to a bachelor’s degree. Students currently enrolled in a four-year college
or university can also take advantage of OCC courses offered during the spring and
summer semesters to get ahead and graduate sooner.

Money Advantage

Either option guarantees significant savings while ensuring you receive the same high-quality
education. OCC maintains a low tuition rate — typically one-quarter to one-half the
cost of similar public or private higher education institutions — with support from
the state of Michigan and Oakland County. Many students are able to maximize OCC's
affordability and save thousands of dollars by transferring course credits.

Programs Designed for Transferring

Under an agreement established by the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars
and Admission Officers, many four-year colleges and university across the state ensure
that a student who completes the following OCC degrees will have satisfied the freshman
and sophomore General Education requirements at their respective schools:

Transferring Course Credits

About 65% of OCC freshmen intend to transfer to another school after they have completed
their OCC coursework. In addition other students wonder if courses from other colleges
will transfer to OCC so they don't have to repeat the courses. Here are the answers to both of these
questions:

From other colleges to OCC: OCC accepts credit for any course from an accredited college or university that is the same or similar to a course that OCC offers. This
assumes that the student passed the course with a grade of C or better.

To other colleges from OCC: Other colleges or universities will do the same for courses taught at OCC. (For example,
ENG 1510 at OCC is a freshman level English Composition course that transfers to any
college in the state as the freshman requirement for English composition.)

How many credits will transfer?

Colleges and universities vary in the total number of courses or credits that they
will accept - from 1 to 90 credits. Most schools, however, will accept up to 62 credits. This is usually the minimum about to earn an associate's degree (out of a total
of 124 for a bachelor's degree). In other words, by earning an associate's degree
at OCC, you are halfway to your bachelor's degree at a four-year college.

Incidentally, when you apply as a transfer student at another college, the minimum
grade point required for admission is lower than what was necessary from high school
- and your high school record is much less important. In addition, the cost savings
from completing your first two years at a community college can be spectacular.

Does my grade point average (GPA) transfer, too?

When you transfer to another school, your GPA does not transfer, only the credits
you have earned with a "C" or better count. So you start with a clean slate at your
new institution.